The Pittsburgh Pirates are among the best clubs in the MLB and have a formidable core for the future. They're working to keep the team in contention for 2016, but should they be more concerned with taking care of star outfielder Andrew McCutchen?
Rumors from last February suggested they might consider extending him, but perhaps it could become a reality this offseason.
Pittsburgh was the second-best team in the MLB this past season, but they were unfortunately forced to play in the one-game Wild Card playoff. They lost to the Chicago Cubs after starter Jake Arrieta put on a dominant performance.
Their season was over just like that. A total of 98 wins and not even a berth in the NLDS.
Still, the Pirates have made the postseason for three consecutive seasons after being absent from the playoffs for 20 years. McCutchen was the driving force that helped them achieve such goals, as he was the team's top performer in terms of WAR from 2010-2014. Although Starling Marte led the team in WAR this past season, McCutchen was still among the best in the MLB and hit .292/.401/.488 with 91 runs scored, 23 home runs and 96 RBI.
Pittsburgh managed to ink the now-29-year-old to a team-friendly five-year, $51.5 million contract before the 2012 season. Perhaps it'd be prudent for the club to forget about the remaining two years (and 2018 team option) on his current deal and sign him to a new contract, as Joe Starkey of the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review suggests.
"The Pirates should tear up those years and add three more, taking McCutchen through his age-34 season, at which point outfielders can still be plenty productive (Carlos Beltran being a prime example).
"Something in the realm of a six-year, $120 million offer seems reasonable. If McCutchen balks, live with it. The Pirates could still choose to keep him through the life of his deal. Which is to say, through the best years of his career.
"But they should at least make a genuine effort to extend him."
Here's what Rob Biertempfel of the Tribune-Review wrote last year when there was speculation about the Pirates extending McCutchen.
"There are no active talks at this time. However, industry sources said that if the Pirates decide to open talks, they are willing to go to great lengths to keep McCutchen in Pittsburgh, even if the numbers approach the current salary stratosphere of $25 million-plus per year."
With the direction baseball contracts are heading in this day and age, this would be a financially responsible decision given the Pirates' payroll restrictions as a smaller market team. McCutchen is bound to produce into his 30s and signing him to a deserving contract - yet one that will probably be below the market price - is the least they can do for a player who agreed to bargain deal that consumed the prime of his career.
As evidenced by that sacrifice, it's fair to assume McCutchen would be content with a $20 million annual salary, but we'll just have to wait and see how the negotiations unfold, if they do in the near future.
"This is still a place I do want to be. I love it here," McCutchen said of Pittsburgh this past weekend.
Starkey then asked him how he'd feel if the Pirates tried to keep him long-term.
"If that's something they can do, then that's something they can do. I really can't answer from their end. But we'll see what happens in the future."
